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16 SAN ANTONIO – Harlingen’s feisty football team ate up plenty of yardage, but it couldn’t produce many points as Westlake rode a wave of big plays into the Class 5A Region IV Division I finals.
The Chaps scored in every phase of the game while advancing to the regional finals for the second consecutive season with a 42-13 win at the Alamodome. And those scores came quickly and covered large chunks of land: Quarterback Tanner Price threw for 190 yards on just 10 completions, including a 48-yard toss to Collin Shaw; James Robinson picked up a blocked field goal and raced 40 yards for a score; and Bryce Hager returned Harlingen’s fifth and final turnover 68 yards for another Chap touchdown.
That flurry of takeaways came as no surprise, according to Hager, who ended the game with two fumble recoveries and an interception.
“We watched film, and it always looked like they would hold it with one hand,” Hager said. “We knew that we could get some loose balls. We just had to scoop and score.”
Westlake (11-2) sapped some of the spirit from the partisan Harlingen (12-1) crowd at the Alamodome by controlling the game in the first quarter. Price capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive on the opening possession with a 10-yard strike to Collin Shaw on third down.
After Harlingen quarterback Mack Sanchez lost a fumble on his team’s first drive, the Chaps marched 53 yards for a touchdown drive that ended with a 2-yard scoring plunge by Hager.
Harlingen managed to stay within 12 points because of a blocked extra point and a failed attempt at a two-point conversion, and the Cardinals cut into Westlake’s lead with a 3-yard touchdown run by Sanchez with 2:22 left in the first half.
However, the final two minutes of the first half typified the contest. After Harlingen’s blitzing, gambling defense sacked Price to set up a third-and-10 from the Chaps’ 48-yard line, Price got up, shook off the hit and fired a slant to Shaw, who pulled away from the secondary for his second score of the first half.
“It’s tough to play a team like that with all their stunts, but we had some opportunities to make plays,” said Price, who was sacked four times by a defensive front led by Mingo Rincon. “You have to hit your hot routes, and we did that.”
In response, the Cardinals quickly drove into Westlake territory before bogging down with 25 seconds left in the half. They lined up for a 49-yard field-goal attempt that would have cut Westlake’s lead to 19-10, but Sean Potter flattened out and blocked the kick. Robison picked up the loose ball and raced into the end zone to give the Chaps a 25-7 halftime lead.
“That was huge,” Hager said. “They had some momentum there in the second quarter, but then we grabbed it and never let go.”
Hager and the defense then went to work, forcing turnovers on Harlingen’s first three possessions of the second half and ending a fourth drive with a sack on fourth down.
The Cardinals finally found the end zone again late in the fourth quarter but still ended the game more than 33 points under their per-game average. They did reel off 226 yards on the ground, more than any other Chap opponent this season, but Sanchez struggled through the air with 151 yards on 17-of-30 passing with three interceptions.
Westlake brought in Allman and his tough rush defense to beat a SA Clark and a Katy or even North Shore. Harlingen was spread team, Westlake kills traditional running teams, just ask Cedar Park, Bowie, P-ville, SA Madiosn, Judson. The Chaps are ready bto avenge last year by stopping SA Clark in a PHYSICAL, 4 quarters game, UNLESS the Chaps can get up early by 17 or more and take the Cougars out of their game. This is the game that the 3-4 quarters was put in for and it will give Allman his FIRST quarterfinals win!!!
OK, it’s Saturday morning—now, where is Rah Rah Cardinals and Valleyite—Helloooooooo…anybody out there? That’s a long, long, long way to drive to get your butt kicked, except of course for you Rah, Rah…I bet you didn’t even have to leave your living room.
Look how well the Chaps are doing. Guess we don’t need that indoor football field to stay competitive after all …
Y Maraner isn’t very nice, is he? Is that “butt kicked” verbage from a Westlake parent? Yes, we all had a nice Thanksgiving, thank you.
It sure does look like our football team has plenty going for it without taking any more money out of our pockets.
I have kids at Westlake but grew up in the valley. I have read many comments elsewhere from friends in Harlingen about how proud they are of their team and no comments were derogatory towards our team. I find the rudeness and unsportsmanlike comments of Y. Maraner very telling. I am proud of Harlingen’s class and sportsmanship. Maybe Westlake can learn from a team from the valley. It isn’t all about money and facilities, is it?
Chapsmom and Westlake parent—You say that, but are you aware of the trashtalking that took place before the game and on the field by Harlingen? I didn’t think so. I too was very impressed with what I read from the Harlingen folks over the weekend…as a whole they gave credit to the refs for calling a good game and to the Chaps for playing a great game. All of that said I didn’t read any trash talking by Chaps fans/kids before the game, but I saw more than plenty of it before and during it by Harlingen…with several personal foul calls with one being smack talking the ref. Uh-huh, there’s class for you. All I said before the game was (you trash talkers) check in with us on Saturday and my friends it was very, very quite. It’s confusing to me how folks like Westlake parent and Chapsmom not to mention Rah Rah Cardinals are so very willing to unite against our fine institution, any attempts to keep it that way or at least current and anyone who supports it. Now that’s what I call trash talking and “not very nice”…
Taxpayers who are concerned about bond outlays are not saying anything against the student athletes, coaches, teachers or “our fine institution.” EISD is talking about a $99 million bond, one-quarter of which will be for another athletic facility in a district that has spent most of its bond money in the past decade on just that. Meanwhile, the district’s facility guy is out there begging for money for roofs and air conditioners for school buildings. All of this should create a very wide discussion and result in a lot more information coming out of the superintendent’s office before a bond is floated. This is big money that will mean higher tax bills for every person in this community during the most serious recession since the Great Depression. I applaud this online discussion and I think Y. Maraner is a red herring.
The only trash-talker on this thread is Y. Maraner: “Helloooooooo…anybody out there? That’s a long, long, long way to drive to get your butt kicked, except of course for you …”
Dear Westbanker—if you really believe what you say and I believe that you do, then you don’t visit this comments section very often for what you say is not entirely true. The administration, support staff, academic staff, coaching staff and supporters of any and/or all of the above is under constant demeaning fire and trash talk by most folks that add anything in these comments. I’m all for voting against a bond election—that’s why we vote. Personally I’m voting for it, but that’s has nothing to do with the trash folks in this community speak about our terrific schools, staff and supporters. If some of the contributors on this site took the time to see/experience the academic, artistic and athletic product coming out of our schools they may show a little more respect for what is happening on Camp Craft Road—Vote NO if you will, but tell your friends to embrace the world class product coming out of their home district—with or without their support.
I appreciate your permission to vote as I choose, Y. Maraner, but I’m not buying the reasoning that if I’m proud of the school district then I should vote for a $99 million bond with a lot of unanswered questions and questionable justifications. $99 million is a lot of money and while it sounds like everyone’s putting their Christmas lists out there, I’d still like a lot more answers before I sign on to a tax hike. As a funder of the school district, I believe I deserve that. Your reasoning kind of reminds me of the way people who were questioning the war in Iraq were accused of not supporting the troops. Completely wrong but effective in keeping the heat off.
Y. Maraner, you are the trash-talker, the one who aims to demean other people. It’s clear you would bully anyone with a opinion or experience that differs from yours. How do you last a single day in such a diverse world? There is life outside of WHS football.
Dear Pop, FIne Example and Westbanker—I’m not the one that mentioned football, but I am the one that said vote as you will. We would all be in alot of trouble if we all voted the same way all of the time. I’m all for a vote and I’m all for disagreement and open discussion on an issue—although, I’m not for trashing our administrators, the coaches, the staff, the kids and the citizenry who support any/all of them. You better re-read this thread if you want to find the real trash talkers. By the way, I’m not a red herring and I’m not a blue dog—you might say I’m a red dot in a red state in a blue community. And Fine Example if you don’t like me calling out the trash talkers from last week, I’m not sure what it is you think you’re doing…
Y. Maraner: You are no model of democracy. You seek to punish those who disagree with you and/or the Eanes ISD administration. Y. Maraner (Weimaraner), Rex the Dog, and Frank Furter — the district junk-yard dogs. I suggest that you are the one who needs to “re-read this thread”:
Let’s start with the second post:
Y. Maraner says:
November 28, 2009 at 11:06 am
OK, it’s Saturday morning—now, where is Rah Rah Cardinals and Valleyite—Helloooooooo…anybody out there? That’s a long, long, long way to drive to get your butt kicked, except of course for you Rah, Rah…I bet you didn’t even have to leave your living room.
Independent—your post says it all and makes my point perfectly…thank you…over and out.
Y. Maraner: I’m afraid you were the one who made your point perfectly (see post #2 on this thread) and that is why you were shut down by those who just won’t tolerate your bad behavior. Back to the dog house for you.
Your taxes are going up if this bond passes. That’s the bottom line.